GAZELLE MAGAZINE Vol. 1 Issue 3. | Page 35

I vy Hill, a clothing boutique in the Central West End, radiates coziness, beauty and style. Inside, a rainbow of tops and sweaters line two long shelves. A cornucopia of accessories—bracelets, earrings and scarves—decorate the top row. On the wall above, delicate necklaces hover in groups. The season’s blouses, skirts, pants and dresses populate long racks on the north and south walls. In the back, two wallpapered and floral-curtained dressing rooms stand tall. Shabby chic round and square wooden tables in the middle of the room display a bounty of luscious pull-overs and cardigans. A young woman in a cute mixed-pattern ensemble is perched behind the register. This is an ideal shopping destination. But not for everyone. Many American women are choosing e-commerce. Seventy-two percent now buy from online retailers—from ASOS to Zappos—for apparel and accessories. Forrester Research predicts that the U.S. online retail industry will climb to a dizzying $279 billion in 2015. Ida Jones often peruses online fashion websites at night. The University of Kansas freshman orders clothing and accessories, especially shoes, on the Internet because it is easier to find exactly what she wants, when she wants it. “I look for price, then I look for style,” Ida said. Urban Original, her favorite website, provides filters that sort by size, style, brand and price. High appeal and low cost fuel Ida’s purchases, but she requires one more ѡ